Trainer Derrick James won’t be a part of Anthony Joshua’s camp for his March 8th fight against Francis Ngannou, as AJ is choosing to stay with his British coach, Ben Davison, for this fight.
Although there have been rumors of the split being due to Joshua not wanting to run in the mornings like James wanted him to, KD from Team AJ says it was a combination of logistics and not wanting to change anything from the mix after the success that they had last December against Otto Wallin.
New Camp, Same Focus
KD says there are no issues that Joshua (27-3, 24 KOs) has had with his U.S. coach, Derrick James, that led to him using Ben Davison as his trainer for the Ngannou contest in March in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
He points out that this is a move that’s “best” for the former two-time heavyweight champion Joshua. For AJ’s last fight against Wallin, he went with Davison due to Derrick James having Ryan Garcia in his camp, and he was committed to working with him for his December 2nd clash against Oscar Duarte.
Sticking To The Script
“I don’t believe he will. We’ve had such a quick turnaround off the success of the last one [against Otto Wallin]. We’re not going to change anything. We’re just going to roll straight back into training camp,” said KD from Team AJ to Boxing King Media when asked if coach Derrick James will play a part in preparing Anthony Joshua for his fight against Francis Ngannou on March 8th.
There’s an excellent chance that Joshua will dump Davison, who some fans view as a simple ‘Yes man’ if he loses to Ngannou on March 8th. That’s AJ’s style, leave the coach when he loses or fails to shine the way he’d hoped.
In the end, Joshua may need to look in the mirror and realize the problem lies in himself, his lack of a chin, stamina, and common sense inside the ring. Joshua’s ring IQ is atrocious and he’s one of those fighters that is lost when needing to think on his feet and adapt.
The Show Must Go On
“We got the Wallin fight signed very quickly. He was in the middle of ticking over down where he was. Derrick [James] had Ryan [Garcia] in the camp, and the logistics weren’t going to work,” said KD. “I feel like Derrick is an experienced trainer, and he’s not new to the sport.
“He understands how the situation is, so there won’t be any ill feelings towards anyone. The show has to go on. Yeah, it’s boxing, it’s sport, so I don’t think you have to take things personally. I think that with every aspect, whether it’s a fighter leaving a coach or doing his camp somewhere else, you kind of always have to do what’s best for yourself.
“In this situation, it’s best for AJ. For Derreck, it seems like what’s best for him with what he’s getting up to. It’s even the same with management and fighters. You’ve just got to do what’s best for yourself.
